Process of extracting gold, silver, &amp;c.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. A. OOMEE. PROCESS OE EXTEAOTINO GOLD, SILVER. OC. APPIICATION FILED JAN 2, 1904 w/TNESSES:

PATBNTED FEB. 27, 1906.

J. A. COMER. PROGESS 0F BXTRAGTING GOLD, SILVER, &0.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

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U @M d A TTOHNEY PATENTED PEB. 27, 1906.

` J. A. COMER. PROOBSS OP EXTRAOTING GOLD, SILVER, am.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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` and recipitating the gol silver, and other 'meta s by electricity or zinc shavings; and

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V metals contalned in the ores by a solution of A y and other metals-in solution; third, to sepacyanid of potassium by electricity or zinc y lution carrying in so by means of compressed air; fourth, to filter the slime sediments in the metallic solution vJOSEPH A. COMER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESSOF EXTRACTING GOLD, SILVER, &0.

Specification of LettersPatent. PatentedlFeb. 27,1906.

Application filed January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187.578.

the slats supporting the same, located therein near the bottom, broken away and the solution and compressed-air pipes illustrated in full and dotted lines.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. COMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented and discovered a new and useful process of extracting gold, silver, and other metals from ores by cyanid of potassium and precipitating the gold, silver, and other metals by. electricity or zinc shavings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to im rovements in a process for extracting gold, siiJver, and other metals Ywith a solution of c amd of potassium Fig. 4 is a sectiona illustrating the filter, the supporting-slats in section, and the compressed-air pipe in elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe electrolytic located therein, the wires connected thereto, and portions of the pipe for conveying the cyanid solution to and from the said tank. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tank shown upon Fig. 5 of the drawings, taken on line 1 1 thereof. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the series of pulp-settling tanks, showing the open chutes or launders for conveying the pulpl solution to and from the same and a pipe leading from one of the com artments thereof. Fig. 8 is a longituthe objects of my invention and discovery dina sectional View taken on the line2 2 of are,fi1st, to dissolve the gold,`silver, and other.

taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 7.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several viewsuponl the drawings.

The reference-letter a denotes the stampmill for crushing the ores.

b refers to the chute or launder forA conveying the crushed ores into the pulp-settlin d tanks i and j, the first of which is subdivided into compartments c, d, e, f, g, and h, and the the cyanid of potassium; second, to separate the pulp a d sedimentary deposits from the said solution by running off or decanting the said cyanid solution holding the gold, silver,

rate the sediments suspended in the cyanid soution the gold, silver, and other metals dissolved out of the. ores of the cyanid of potassium, render fluffy and occulent by means of compressed air permeating the same, and, lastly, depositing the metallic gold, silver, and other metals dissolved inthe clear filtered solution of the ments h', g,f, e', d', and c. compartments is provided with an opening. k, into which a lug Z is ada ted to be secured, the said p ug having a ongl handle m, extending above the upper edge of the saidA tanks i and y' for removing the same.

The reference-letter R indicates the receptacle in which lime or other alkalies are deposited.

avings'.

In carrying out my invention and discovery, the process herein described, the apparatus herein described, and shown upon the drawings, I use for that purpose. I may use The reference-letter n represents the Weakother apparatus for carrying out my said imcyanid-solution tank. In this tank a weak proved process, and do not, therefore,confi ne t solution of cyanid of potassium is always to myself to the apparatus illustrated upon the be found. drawings ap ended hereto.

I accomp ished the several steps of my invention and discovery by construction and pump to the weak-cyani -solution tank fn. arrangement of the apparatus and the mechl From the tank n the weak cyanid solution anism shown upon the accompanying drawis conveyed by gravity through the pipe o ings, in which upon the ores while the same are being Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my imcrushed by the stamp-mill a, and throu h the proved apparatus. Fig. 2isaplau view of the l pipe p the weak cyanid solution is con ucted same. 1g. 3 is a lan view of one of the linto the cyanid-of-potassium tank g. In tering-tanks,show1ngaportionofthefilterand i this tank g tank, showing the anode and cathode plates naar, tank y is subdivided inf-.0 Compart- Each of said 1 6o view taken through one ofthe filtering-tanks,

Fig 7, and Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view n IOO The reference-letter P indicates the circui IOS TIO

(hereinafter denominated the for use. T is standard solution of the cyanid of potassium in said tankg will hereinafter be referred to as the cyanid solution By means of the lpipe 1, leading from the cyanidtank g into t e compartment 7L of the pulpsettling tank i, the said cyanid solution in said cyanid-tank is conveyed into said compartment h of the tank i, where it is brought into contact with and intimately mixed with the crushed ore and the water passing through the stamp-mill a. The said crushed ore and water are also conveyed into the said ulp-settling tank 'i by means of the chute or aunder b.

The cyanid solution carrying the gold, silver, and other metals in solution and sedimentary deposits suspended therein are drawn ofi` from the lower portions of the pulp in the pulp-settling tanks i and j and are conveyed over the upper edges and into a series of filterin -tanks s s by means of the open chutes or aunders t t. Said cyanid solution, with the gold, silver, and other metals in solution and sedimentary deposits suspended therein, falls upon the upper surfaces of the lter u u, secured in the lower portions of the said filtering-tanks s s. The pulp by means of the chutes or launders t t is conveyed from the lower ortions of the settling-tanks 'i and and t e sedimentary deposits are Washed out through the pipes P P from the filtering-tanks s s and conducted through the ,chutes or launders Q Q into the chute or launder Q to a dump-heap for tailings hereinafter referred to. A supply of the standard cyanid solution in said cyanid-tank g is now conveyed by means of the pipe 'v and the branch pipes w w thereof into the said filtering-tanks s s, near the lower portions thereof and under the filters u u and the supporting-slats x therefor, where the said supply of the standard cyanid solution is intimately mixed with compressed air conveyed into the said filtering-tanks s s and under the said filters u u and under the sup orting-slats :I: :I: by means of the pipe y and) the branch pipes z z, connected to and leading from the air-compressor A. The said solution in the lower portions of the filtering-tanks s s, thoroughly impregnated with the compressed air under the lters u u, gently and in a quiescent state asses upward through the said filters and t rough the pulp and cyanid solution carrying the Gold, silver, and other metals in solution and sedimentary deposits suspended therein from the pulp-settling tanks c and j, permeates and thoroughly aerates the said solution and its sedimentary deposits, causes the latter to become fiuffy and Hocculent, being susceptible to the cyanid solution, thereby rendering the fluffy and fiocculent deposits easily separated by means of the filters u u, located near the upper edges of the filtering-tanks ses at the open ends of the outlet-pipes B B, leading into the open chute or launder C and the pipe C for conveying the twice-filtered aerated cyanid solution into the electrolytic tank D, provided at one end thereof, at which the said-cyanid solution enters, carrying the gold, silver, and other metals in solution, free from sedimentary deposits, slimes, and other foreign matters. Through the filter u the said solution passes into the said electrolytic tank in order to be assured that all slimes and foreign matters have been abstracted therefrom before being brought in contact with the anode and cathode plates E and F, respectively, located within the said electrolytic tank D. To the anode-plate E and to the cathodeplate F wires G and I-I, respectively, are connected and lead to the electrogenerator I through the casing for the storage battery I', containing convolutions of the said wires G and H, respectively, as shown upon Figs. 1 and 2. After all the gold, silver, and other metals have been deposited upon the said plates contained in the cyanid solution the said solution is conveyed, by means of the pi e J, into the sump-tank K, provided with a lter L near the lower portion thereof, under which filter a layer of lime is placed for further correcting the acidity of the cyanid solution, from which the said metals have been deposited, before returning the said solution by means of the pump M and the pipe N into the cyanid-tank g. The tailings from the pulpsettlinor tanks t' and j, after having passed througlh the same, the gold, silver, and other metals available therein having been ex- IOO tracted from them, the said tailings have thus been prepared by the cyanid--of-potassium treatment for a further treatment for extracting all the gold, silver, and other metals from the same, and I have discovered that these tailings are now in a better condition for subsequent treatment for obtaining tin from the same than the saidtailings were originally before they were first brought in contact with the solution of cyanid of potassium.

It will readily appear from the foregoing description, when read in connection with the drawings hereto appended and made a part of the specification and claims, how the steps of the process herein are carried into effect, and further description of the manner of operating my improved apparatus to produce the steps of the improved process is deemed unnecessary.

Having described my invention and discovery, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of extracting gold, silver, and other metals from ores, consisting in subjecting the crushed ores to a solution of the cyanid of potassium, drawing off the said solution from the pulp mixed therewith, im-

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sedimentary de osits suspended therein, sepsuspended in said solution, forcing compressed air through the said cyanid solution and sedimentary deposits suspended therein,

separating the said sedimentary deposits pregnating with air the said solution and sedimentary de osits suspended therein, sep-y arating the se imentary deposits from the solution, and depositing the metals contained froml the said solution, and depositing by in the solution with electricity. means of electricity the metals carried in said 2. The process of extracting gold, silver solution.

and other metals from ores, consisting in sub- 4. The method of extracting metals from ores consisting in treating the crushed ores with an .alkaline cyanid solution, separating the said solution from the ores and other {oreigii substances mixed therewith, injecting compressed air into said solution, separating sedimentary substances suspended in said solution, and depositing by means of electricity the metals dissolved by the said solution.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH A. COMER.

Witnesses:

ANNA MORGAN, S. A. LAVENDER..

solution of the drawing off the said somiXed therewith, imthe said solution and jectin the ores to an alkaline cyani of potassium, lution from the pulp pregnating with air arating the se imentary deposits Jfrom the solution, and depositing the gold, silver and other metals in the said solution by means of electricity.

3. The process of extracting gold, silver and other metals from ores, consisting in dissolving the gold, silver and other metals from the ores by means of a cyanid solution, eliminating the pulp and other foreign matters 

